Group files lawsuit against city for approval of Redlands Crossing Project, Walmart

Redlands City Council approved the Redlands Crossing Project to be located at San Bernardino Avenue and Tennessee Street, at its Oct. 16 meeting. (John Valenzuela/Staff Photographer)

PDF: Complaint filed by RGNC
REDLANDS - The Redlands Good Neighbor Coalition (RGNC) HAS filed a lawsuit against the city for its Oct. 16 approval of the Redlands Crossing Project, which includes a Walmart supercenter.

In the complaint, filed Nov. 15, the organization alleges that the City Council approved the project and its environmental impact report without adequately identifying the adverse impact the project could have on the environment within city limits.

The complaint is asking that the court to void the council's approval of the project.

Walmart is also named in the lawsuit.

A court date has not yet been set to discuss the matter, said Anthony N. Kim, an associate with Briggs Law Corp. who is representing the RGNC.

The city is responding to the complaint, said Carl Baker, public information officer for the city.

He was unable to comment on the specifics of that response.

The Redlands Crossing Project, a 256,614-square foot retail and commercial center that is scheduled to be built on 33 acres of land at San Bernardino Avenue and Tennessee Street near Citrus Valley High School and anchored by a Walmart supercenter, was approved by a 4-1 council vote.

Mayor Pete Aguilar voted against it.

The approval had a few contingencies, to which Walmart had agreed. They included the modification of store hours from a 24-hour/7-day a week schedule to one that is consistent with local business hours and open no later than midnight.

Walmart officials also agreed to meet with a subcommittee within 30 days of the project's approval to make the project more Redlands-centric.

Mayor Pro Tem Paul Foster and Councilman Jon Harrison would make up the subcommittee, per the agreement.

At the time of the approval, Aguilar said the project did not fit with the vision of the city and that planners did not fully address traffic issues.

He also expressed concerns of the store's ability to find a tenant to fill the current site on Redlands Boulevard because once the supercenter is built, all store operations will be transferred to the new site.

"I don't feel it is in the best interest of the city to take Walmart on their word that they are going to backfill the facility," he said at the Oct. 16 meeting. "And I don't believe the language was firm enough to require that they fill the facility before they move to the new facility."

Since discussion of the project began, residents have expressed their concerns over the new project, citing traffic concerns near the proposed site, especially near CVHS, a possible increase in crime, and the addition of blight to the city.

Walmart officials have said from the start that they had plans to find an occupant prior to the move.

At the Oct. 16 meeting, Aaron Rios, a Walmart spokesman, tried to ease concerns by commenting that if the building was not sold within 18 months of the supercenter's opening, the city could purchase it for city-related services.

If not sold within 60 months, Walmart will demolish the building, but Rios said the corporation prefers not to do so.

"We treat our buildings as an asset," he said, adding that Walmart will be financially responsible for the current site on Redlands Boulevard until it is sold.

Proponents of the store have said that the new store will offer a variety of groceries and clothing items at low cost, compared to other retailers such as Target and Trader Joe's.

Convenience is another plus, they feel.

Many have commented that they have had to travel outside the city to accommodate their shopping needs and tax revenue generated from their purchases at other Walmart supercenter locations benefit other cities, such as Beaumont and Moreno Valley.

After the approval, several organizations including the RGNC spoke out against the store at a number of public hearings and forums, saying they were disappointed by the council's decision.

Keith Osajima, spokesman for and chairman of the organization, said the group had planned to meet shortly after the council's approval.

"The Redlands Good Neighbor Coalition does not see this as the end of the process, but views it as another obstacle, and our group is committed to exploring ways to stop the project," he added.